Collapsible basket



Oct. 20, 1953 W. TERRY COLLAPSIBLE BASKET Filed Sept. 8, 1952 JNVENTOR. War/e 7r/ y A TTO/QNE Y.

Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible baskets, and has for its primary object to render commercially practical, baskets of the type disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,030,204, in the name of Dale B. Gray, dated February 11, 1936.

It is an important object hereof to provide a collapsible basket having framework cooperable with a sheet metal bottom wall and with canvas side walls, as well as a canvas cover to present a container that is easily and inexpensively manufactured and one which will undergo tremendous abuse when used for various and sundry purposes over a relatively long period of time.

An important object hereof is to provide a, collapsible basket wherein the sheet metal bottom wall thereof is provided with a continuous bead or overlapping flange structure at the periphery thereof for rigidly securing the canvas sides of the basket thereto, such mounting means cooperating with the collapsible frame in holding the latter in a normally locked position for maintaining the flexible sides of the basket in a taut condition.

Other objects hereof include the way in which thebottom wall of the basket is ribbed throughout for Various purposes including the presentation of supporting feet; the draining of moisture from within the basket and the locking of the frame against the continuous flange of the bottom wall; the way in which handles are provided to adapt the basket for use with a canvas cover; and other more minor objects, all of which will be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible basket made according to the present invention, parts being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken on line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the basket collapsed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed, cross-sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed, cross-sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 1.

The basket hereof includes a collapsible framework broadly designated by the numeral 10, a rigid panel 12 preferably of sheet metal and presenting a bottom for the basket, a covering l4 of flexible material presenting the side walls for the basket, and a cover or lid It also of flexible material, the side walls l4 and I6 being preferably made from a good grade of canvas.

2 A pair of flexible handles l8 extend across the top of the basket and a pocket on at least one end of the basket is presented through the medium of a canvas strip 20 secured directly thereto.

The collapsible framework l0 comprises a continuous, polygonal wire rim 22 and a pair of U- shaped side members 24 and 26,'swingably secured to the rim 22. Each U-shaped side mem-- ber 2426 has an elongated base portion 28 extending along the bottom of panel l2 in engage-- ment therewith, a pair of upstanding legs 30 at the corners of the basket, and an H-shaped tie member 32 each having a pair of legs as shown:

secured to the base member 28 and a pair of legs having a coil 34 therein pivotally surrounding the rim 22, The uppermost ends of the legs of tie member 32, terminate in eyelets 36 that releasably receive snap fasteners 38 on the handles 18. Legs 30 of the side members 24 and 2B terminate in eyelets 40 that surround the rim 22? for pivotal movement thereon.

The bottom panel I2 is turned upwardly at its: periphery in a continuous outermost flange 42 and thence downwardly and inwardly in an innermost flange 44 for attaching the bottom I2 to the fabric side covering l4. As shown most clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawing, the lowermost marginal edge of the covering I4, extends downwardly along the innermost face of flange 44 and thence upwardly between the flanges 42 and 44 where the same is gripped tightly therebetween. The panel i2 is reinforced throughout by a plurality of ribs.

A pair of crossed ribs 46 present supporting feet for the basket and channels within the uppermost surface of the panel I2 that serve to drain moisture and condensate from the basket into an opening 48 at the point of crossing of ribs 46. There is provided additionally, a number of upturned ribs 50 that are substantially perpendicular to the flanges 42 and 44, and spaced therefrom as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing. Each of the ribs 50 therefore, cooperate with the base portion 28 of the side members 24 in holding such base members 28 tightly against the flexible covering [4 to in turn press the same against the innermost face of flange 44. By virtue of the fact that the uppermost ends of the legs of tie member 32 having eyelets 36 thereon extend outwardly from the rim 22, lifting of the basket through use of the flexible handles I8, tends to force the base members 28 against the canvas covering l4 and thereby, there is a cooperation with the ribs 50 in maintaining the entire basket in a normally open condition.

When it is desired to collapse the basket in the b'er respectivelyihavi the: basei ofl the'lsi'de 3 manner shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the base members 28 will readily slip from place between the ribs 50 and the flange members 42 and 44. The covering or lid l6 may be attached in any suitable manner and to this end there is provided a plurality of snap fasteners that include buttons 52 and cooperating elements 54 on the covering {4 and lid l6 respectively. slots 55 in the lid [6 clear thaupwardly prbjeetiri'g' portions of the tie member 32 when the cover I6 is 10 stretched across the open top of the basket. The handles l8 may be disposed within the basket when the cover is in place or by virtue of the're leasable snaps 38 the same can be removed at any time.

A basket of the type hereinset forth is adapted; f for many uses and through pic'iifisibnofabotto'm wall of sheet metal or the like, deterioration' liy moisture collection will have little deleterious effect thereupon==- The user need notbe concerned ini storing 7 Q1 stackinga-plu-rality', of baskets ofthis: type eithen'from the standpoint of crushing or damage when placed on moist surfaces.

Details-ofconstructien-mayfof course; vary,- but it is-desiredltoabe limited only by-the-spirit of the inventiomas -definedby the'scope-of the appended-,claimsa Having thus described the invention whatis claimed asnew" and desired to'be secured by Let-' tersPatentisg u 7 1. Ina collapsible basket-0t the kind described, a: collapsible! framework; a=-covering of flexible material :for the framework;-a-rigid; panel forming -:thebottom of-said basketand having a 0011- tinuous, upstanding. flange -portion"secured"tothe covering; andza pair of fiexible handlesextend ing'iacro'ss the-topof said basket; the framework Y comprising :a i-polygonakrirfif a pair of "U--sh'aped'- side membershazvingfthefleiids of=their legs swing ably secured tothe said riirr at-"oppositecorners 40 threof andstheir' b'ase portion's 'extending' along the bottom iof saidrpanel in engagement'there: withgan H -sliapedttie* mber on each si'de-n'iem'-'" air-bf legs scure d to"- me be "ma a-pair'or-uegs coiled: ab'out' the: said rim?extending thereabovef and terminating ifia pair bf eylets}saiial handles j oir'iing opposed pairs-o yeretsesa anel hav a number of upstahd n bsio ar 7 base portions 0- hold" the 'sid' meifiue'isagainstthe -flekibIe-bovermg? 2. In a collapsible basket of the kind described, a collapsible framework; a covering of flexible material for the framework; a rigid panel forming the bottom of said basket; and a pair of flexible handles extending across the top of said basket, the framework comprising a polygonal rim, a pair of U-shaped side members having the ends of their legs swingably s ecuredto the said rim at oppo's cdrne'rsfthereo'f and their base portions ekt endi'iig" along the bottozfi'of said panel in engagement therewith, an H-shaped tie member on each side member respectively having a pair of legs-"secured to the base of the side member and a pair of legs coiled about the said rim, extendmgtfieraaev, and terminating in a pair of eyelel er s idih n llesiiqin e p s d pairs of y lets, said panel having a continuous, upstanding flafig portion and a number of upstanding ribs, the base portions being wedged between the ribs and the flange portion: V

3. In apollapsiblebasketof the kind desbribed", a" collapsible framework; a' covering" of flexible" material for the framework a rigidpanel' forrn mg the bott'om'ofsaid basket; and'a pair offleirif' ble handles extending across the' to'p of"saidba: ket, the"framework"comprising a; poly onai r I apaii of- U'-sh'aped'side members having the'ends of" their legs swingably" secured: to "the" said rim? at" opposite -corners thereof and-their base er: Hons-"extending alongtlrebotto'rn(of saia aner inengagenient th'erewithfan H 1 shaped uemem ber on each 'side 'meinber' respectively having a pair of legs *securedtdth'e base of the side'mrn berand-'"a'pair of legscoiledaldoufltlles id rim, extending thereabovefand "term'ina'ting*in a pair of f eyelets; said" handles oinin'g opposed pairs 'f' eyeletsisaidpanel having a; co'ritinu'ou's',upista'nd' f m fiangemortiomc'oile'd about the m'arginal edg'ef of-theileXible covering? and number of up standing ri'bsbearin gflagain's't 'the base p'o rons;- tohold the -'fies ib1e covering rippeutetweeiithe" fiange portion and the" base-portions":

WARREN TERRY."

Referencesfcited in -the "file orthi 't'm 

